1. Field
This application relates generally to computer-aided design (CAD), and more specifically, to methods of modeling environments and objects.
2. Background
Over the last several decades, there have been significant advances in model acquisition and computer-aided design (CAD). These technologies have resulted in the ability to process massive data sets of complex geometric models which include complex CAD environments. These massive data sets typically require large memory size to store the data sets. Handling such massive models presents challenges to software and system developers. This is particularly true for highly interactive 3D applications, such as visual simulations and virtual environments, which need to provide interactivity, low-latency, and real-time processing. A significant problem is in the post design phase of CAD projects where a collection of data is required to be viewed at once in an interactive mode. The amount of data to be loaded is usually large and is usually transformed into triangular meshes which are optimized for processing over the graphics processing unit (GPU). This technique will generate information that is required to draw these objects, but will lose features of the original design topology and various capabilities.
Previous systems and methods focused on triangulated mesh modeling since a triangle is the simplex of the graphic pipeline. This methodology removes capabilities of original CAD designs. For example, objects in the original CAD design are more editable and analyzable than their triangulated mesh modeling counterparts. Therefore, a need exists to model CAD designs so as to reduce the size of memory necessary to store structures that are highly editable and analyzable, while also being able to render the environments quickly and efficiently.